French press by the dock in San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala. I had been travelling for some time and drank some decent coffee on occasion, but mostly rubbish hostel brew (ie instant). But before arriving in the dreamy confines of Lake Atitlan I had never been surrounded by hills of bright red coffee cherries. That morning on my walk from lodging to the town I nibbled on the sweet fruit surrounding coffee beans. Along the path I passed through corn fields and saw the beans drying and being raked. Excited by my proximity to the coffee I became worried that the fine beans around me were destined for foreign lands. I sat down with my new friend on a deck overlooking the shimmering lake and ordered my own French press. After plunging the device my worries vanished with each breath and each sip. The coffee from up the hill.

Poured from the yellow spherical Modern Classic Thermal Carafe designed by Ole Palsby from MOMA. I drink the french pressed coffee black two hours after my girlfriend put it in the carafe. I wake up and it is ready, the perfect gift each morning.

If you get a chance to have a yo-yo mixto you will absolutely plotz! Instead of the fried green bread replacement of a patacon it has mashed ripe sweet plantain in its place. Can't miss food at Everything is smothered in sauces, corn, lettuce, and cheese. The most amazing delivery option in Inwood, and one of the greatest late night options. The perfect accompaniment to a night of Alan Alda movies and a 24 oz. can of Coors. Do I want maracuya, or don't I? It'll be here in twenty minutes...

At a Hanukah party at my house growing up my friend's little brother dipped some cheddar cheese into applesauce. We laughed and mocked him and declared him the grossest little kid of them all. But it was cheese and apples, we were the dumb ones. We all agreed that applesauce and sour cream was the way to go. I feel bad that we ridiculed the youngster. I think this year at Hanukah I'll dip some Cabot Clothbound in some applesauce made of Golden Russets.

How about Charleston, SC. The longstanding and distinct lowcountry food culture is growing, they have the last three James Beard winners from the South, and local foodways are being revived. Not a month goes by in NY where a restaurant doesn't seem to be mimicking an average Charleston restaurant. The original is definitely the star.

Not that I have anything to compare it to, but I had a version of these at A-Wah. The peanuts were coarser, but they were delicious. Eating in Translation has a pic http://www.eatingintranslation.com/2010/07/awah.html. Are they as good as Hong Kong? I have no idea.

The type of pizza at Cuartito appears to be pizza al molde, definitely the dominant style in Buenos Aires. Also available is pizza a la piedra which tends to be of the thinner variety, more similar to NY style, but different. When I was there it was definitely difficult to get used to the amount of cheese, which wasn't always the best. With that said, it is a different style and some are really delicious. And a slice of fugazza, faina, and a glass of moscato, to cut the fat, at the busy Guerrin is pretty great. Though not Neapolitan or New York, the pizza al molde often seems like focaccia with toppings. Is that so horrible?

Anticuchos de corazon in Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Sure, I had already acclimated to the altitude of La Paz, but maybe the bus, an even higher altitude, perhaps the hooch, the blistering cold ,or all the elements mixed with a crowded plaza made me unwell. I rested and tried to recover myself so I could enjoy a dance with my Bolivian friend at the celebration of the Aymara New Year, the southern hemisphere winter solstice. I cooled it with the drinking, except some warm frothy milk ponche mixed with booze, which I had to try.

The wind and cold altiplano air was taking its toll, and I was seemingly the wet blanket of my group. But there were little grills on the way from the town plaza to the ruins where the first sun rays of the year were taken through the Puerta del Sol. But, before arriving and waiting for the sun I ate heart skewers. Some fall ill and abstain, but I chose to indulge. The line for meat was long and the heart delivered warmth and charred fuel. An accompanying green salsa for brightness and I was ready for the sun. Maybe grilled heart on a stick was what I needed all along.

We had them them at the supermarkets in Arizona, but it wasn't until I moved to Oregon that I noticed places specializing in them. The Reel M' Inn with its tantalizing Chicken and JoJos sign in red and yellow on Division St. has some of the biggest JoJos I've ever seen. I grappled with the temptation of those giant wedges and some chicken thighs every day. Oh, the JoJos and their friendly companion the Sauce Packet.

I'm with Saria, it's important to qualify what your idea of good Mexican food is. It isn't one food across a vast country, but a patchwork of impressive regional specialties. Is there more in California certainly, is there a lack of SF mission style burritos? Yes. I think maybe the mid-range Mexican food in NY, mostly gringo fare, is abominable but if you're willing to find the cheap spots there are tremendous rewards. Trucks, bodegas, and small storefronts are wonderful. In Inwood where the food is decidedly not diverse, mostly Dominican, I can get excellent 3 excellent gorditas for $6. Is there great Mexican in every neighborhood, probably not.

But, where there are Mexicans there is good food. Go to Queens, get off the 7 train at 82nd eat a tamale from the lady at the bottom of the stairs, walk down the street for a handmade quesadilla of squash blossoms, then tell me NYC doesn't have great Mexican food. It all depends on what kind of snob you are, I'm from Arizona where Mexican food is everywhere, just look a little harder here and hopefully the snobbery will be broken. But if what you're looking for is primarily overstuffed flour tortillas, yes, you may be out of luck.

I never heard of mole blanco before Natalia Mendez, one of the mom and pop owners of Mott Haven's La Morada, casually mentioned it in a conversation about the Oaxacan specialties she has cooked here. La Morada makes the dish, and trying it is worth a special visit. More

In this great city of ours, one could eat a different sandwich every day of the year—so that's what we'll do. Here's A Sandwich a Day, our daily look at sandwiches around New York. Got a sandwich we should check... More

[Photo: Nikki Goldstein] Back Forty's brunch menu is one of my personal favorites. Instead of all the usual offerings and a few interesting twists, it's 95% twists with a few kicked-up staples—all fantastically delicious. Even the servers are surprised... More

Two of my favorite words during this humid, hot summer: shaved ice. Raspados, slushes, shave ice, however you like to say it or eat it—crushed or shaved ice sweetened with flavored syrup is one of the best things to... More